Four 15-minute podcast episodes that explore the intersectionality of police use of force, race, and people with disabilities. Through this podcast we seek to bring awareness to the issue people with disabilities, specifically people of color with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families, face when dealing with law enforcement and solutions for communities in South Carolina.  The Group focused on four different segments of the issue for the podcast:

  • “Policing Disability” -focusing on encounters with police and interactions with differently-abled people, specifically people of color on the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
  • “Having a Different Kind of Talk”- similar to ‘the talk’ Black parents give their children about law enforcement it takes on a different meaning because these citizens are not only Black, but are on the Autism Spectrum, which means they have an even higher chance of dying at the hands of a police officer.
  • “Understanding Autism” -fundamental misunderstandings of ASD have led to the current situation, but why with even more understanding than ever is this still a problem? Disability advocates and medical professionals tell us about ASD and understanding situations that may seem threatening.
  • “How to Move Forward”- we talk with experts in policing and policy experts to discuss programs that are working and changes we need to make in the systems to make policing safer for people with ASD and the officers who come into contact with them.

We plan to share our final project in partnership with South Carolina Public Radio. This will include hosting the podcast through the S.C. Public Radio’s iTunes account (which will make it discoverable on all podcast platforms and the NPR One app), promotion of the episodes over the radio and SC Public Radio’s social media platforms. more at risk for social isolation and debilitating depression. Older adults are rapidly emerging as a marginalized group requiring innovative strategies to mitigate social justice barriers and to facilitate community empowerment.